The present invention relates to an information processing device that has a camera function and an information input function of a key operating unit or the like, and that can receive external information by wire or radio, such as, for example, a digital camera, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), or a portable communication terminal, and a method for classification processing on captured information.
An image taken by an image pickup device such as a digital camera or the like is recorded on a recording medium. The image recorded on the recording medium can be reproduced and used through a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or the like provided to the image pickup device. Further, the image recorded on the recording medium is displayed on the display device using a representative image such as a thumbnail or the like, whereby a plurality of images recorded on the recording medium can be checked at a time.
However, with an increase in the capacity of the recording medium, a much larger number of images than before can be recorded when images taken by the image pickup device are to be recorded on the recording medium. Therefore, when a desired image is to be selected from the taken images and displayed, it is difficult for a user to extract the desired image from among the large number of images recorded on the recording medium.
Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 11-215457) proposes a method of managing images recorded on a recording medium by classifying the taken images according to photographing dates and times thereof. In the case of this technique, the images are classified according to the photographing dates and times thereof, and therefore if a date of photographing of a desired image can be roughly guessed, the desired image can be retrieved quickly. The technique is beneficial when a photographing date and time of an image recorded on the recording medium is desired to be known later, for example.
With the development of networks, an image pickup device can be connected to another image pickup device, a personal computer (hereinafter abbreviated to a PC), and various servers. It is thereby possible for a user to capture images taken by a friend in the image pickup device of the user and use the images, for example.
Further, images made open to the public through servers on a network can be downloaded and reproduced similarly. In this case, images taken independently and the images supplied through the network and the like are mixed with each other on the recording medium of the image pickup device.
In the case where the images taken by the own device and the images obtained through the network are thus mixed with each other on the recording medium, when these images are managed by the method described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the images obtained through the network are classified according to photographing dates and times thereof, of course.
However, it is not often that the user of the image pickup device knows the photographing dates and times of images obtained through an external device or a network, and there is no need for the user of the image pickup device to know the photographing dates and times of images obtained through an external device or a network. Thus, images obtained through an external device or a network are classified into unexpected dates, and therefore it is difficult to extract a desired image.
In addition, when a result of classification covers a wide range, for example when images are classified according to photographing dates and times thereof and the photographing dates and times of the taken images cover a wide range such as a period of a few months, a period of a few years or the like, it takes much time to check the result of classification.
Such a problem occurs inevitably not only when image data is managed in a digital camera but also when information obtained through different paths, such as, for example, information generated by an own device and information obtained through a network, needs to be managed.
For example, in a case where a PDA manages text data input through the keyboard of the own device and text data obtained through a network, or in a case where a portable telephone terminal manages data of an incoming call melody (a so-called ringer tone) created by inputting information through the key operating unit of the own device and data of a ringer tone obtained through a network, it is difficult to make a search when the data obtained through the network is to be managed by a date of creation of the data.
In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide an information processing device and an information processing method that do not impair advantages of classification of information according to the creation dates and times of the information when desired information is extracted from information recorded on a recording medium, can perform classification even of information obtained via a network or the like appropriately, and enables a result of classification to be checked quickly even when the result of classification covers a wide range.